University of California, Davis
ER-13: Sustainability Literacy Assessment

Which phrase best describes the term “sustainability” to you? When purchasing a product, how often do you consider the following...? (If you answered "Never" to any of the above question please explain why.) Shopping Practices - How often do you… (If you answered "Never" to any of the above question please explain why.) Electricity and Water - How often do you… (If you answered "Never" to any of the above question please explain why.) Have you heard of the following department or organizations? Rate how familiar you are with the following: (energy conservation, water conservation, recycling, zero-waste events, composting, housing and/or other food cooperatives, Positive Impact, ESLP, Student Housing's sustainability practices, Dining Commons sustainability practices, Zipcar, Zimride, UC Davis sustainability practices, UC Davis Domes and Co-ops, EASE ATP, sustainability interns) Do you have any questions about sustainability? Do you have any suggestions for additional sustainable practices for the residence halls?

Student Housing wanted to assess the sustainability literacy of students living in the residence halls from September 2009 to June 2010. The Positive Impact team (two full-time staff and three student sustainability interns) worked collaboratively to develop a survey to understand the awareness, knowledge, practices, and barriers to behavior change, as they related to sustainability. The survey questions also sought input from the residents as to what programs Student Housing should consider implementing.

The survey was created using SurveyMonkey, a web-based survey solution, and sent to all students living in the residence halls before they arrived on campus. The responses were used in the training of that year's sustainability interns and to inform Student Housing staff as they developed programs for the year. The survey was administered again using the same tool and sent to the same population in early 2010, as part of another community assessment.

When comparing the results of the follow-up survey to the results of the initial survey: The percentage of respondents that "don't know" what sustainability means dropped 7.9%. The percentage of respondents who had knowledge of the Campus Center for the Environment, a student organization dedicated to sustainability, had increased 7.9% The percentage of respondents who had knowledge of R4 Recycling, the campus organization for recycling and other landfill diversion resources, had increased 21.1%. The population reported an increased knowledge of the following topics: composting, zero-waste events, housing and/or food cooperatives, Positive Impact, ESLP, campus sustainability practices (including Student Housing and Dining Services), Zipcar, Zimride, EASE ATP, and sustainability interns. Additionally, the percentage of respondents with suggestions for improving sustainability in Student Housing increased 9.5%.